Dragon Clan: Avoid the College Entrance Examination to Slay the Dragon

Chapter 28 A Day of Freedom

Gu Yi looked at the man in black awkwardly, "So this is a free day."

The man in black yanked off his mask, revealing a freckled, British face. He angrily shouted in his Oxford accent, "What else? War games day, specially authorized by school rules! All students can freely engage in firearm-wielding—you freshmen should have reported through the side door! What are you doing here on the battlefield between us and the Lionheart Society?" His golden-brown curls were stuck to his forehead by sweat, like a ball of burning copper.

Gu Yi was even more embarrassed. "Sorry, we didn't know. The professor never mentioned this to us."

"Which professor?" The man in black suddenly became alert, like a hound smelling blood.

"Professor Guderian," Chu Zihang said. He had sheathed his dagger without realizing it.

The tense atmosphere suddenly deflated.

"Oh him," the man in black scoffed, throwing his assault rifle behind his back, "last year he handed me a pizza menu as a textbook for Dragon Language class."

He took off his tactical gloves, revealing the purple bruises on his knuckles. "Leno Crawford, a junior. Does this count as a case of acquaintance through fighting?"

As Gu Yi held the scarred hand, he heard the church bells ringing in the distance. The chime at 19:00 startled a flock of night crows, and their black wings swept over the Gothic spire.

"So the student union will win this year?" Gu Yi asked.

Leno suddenly straightened his back. "Of course! The Student Union has never defeated the Lionheart Club, but this year we have Caesar! He successfully predicted all of the Lionheart Club's tactics and defeated the Lionheart Club president in a one-on-one duel! I think he can become the Student Union President this year."

"Where are the wounded!" A roar ripped through the twilight. Twelve brilliant beams of light pierced the darkness, the medical team's signature white coats rustling in the wind. The bald man in the lead held a powerful flashlight, the veins on his forehead throbbing with his steps. "Freedom Day ends at 19:00! What's going on with all these corpses lying there?"

Gu Yi watched as the men in white injected something into the unconscious Lionheart Society members, and soon they all woke up.

The medical team leader raised an eyebrow in surprise, and swept the flashlight beam over the two unconscious student council members. "Wait, why are these two student council members not responding?"

Gu Yi said awkwardly, "They were knocked unconscious by me using my knife."

The bald professor turned around abruptly, his bright flashlight almost poking Gu Yi's nose: "Freshman?" He looked at Gu Yi, "Freshmen don't report but come to participate in this kind of activity? You really don't know..."

"Oh, it's finally over! Manstein, you're here." Guderian's voice tore through the stagnant air. The old professor emerged from the woods, clutching a brown paper bag. "Gu Yi, why are you here too? Why don't you report?"

"Professor!" Gu Yi practically squeezed out these two words from between his teeth, "You didn't mention the free day!"

Guderian pushed up his glasses that had slid to the tip of his nose and asked, "Didn't Su Yuqing tell you?" He turned around to look for support, but saw the girl adjusting the neck brace for the unconscious person.

"Didn't you say you would explain it in person?" Su Yuqing raised her head blankly, with a maple leaf stuck in her hair.

The intercom on Leno's tactical belt suddenly emitted an electrical noise. A cold voice pierced the twilight, "Crawford, are you providing hospice care to the enemy? Why haven't you finished the mop yet?"

Leno frantically pressed the intercom. "Vice President, this is..." He glanced at the student union member who was undergoing medical examination. "There are some unexpected situations that need to be cleaned up." "Then come back quickly," the voice continued. "The champagne tower for the celebration party is already built. I don't want to give the congratulatory speech without seeing the commando captain."

"Understood!" Leno unconsciously tensed up, like a soldier undergoing inspection. When he turned to face Gu Yi, his eyes suddenly widened as if he remembered something: "Wait, what are your names?"

"Gu Yi." The young man pointed to the silent figure beside him, "He is Chu Zihang."

Leno's pupils suddenly contracted. The last bell of the distant church happened to fall silent at this moment. He suddenly grabbed Gu Yi's wrist.

"Damn it! You're the ones who were specially recruited this year. Listen to me!" His voice was hushed, filled with burning anxiety. "You absolutely must vote for the Student Union! Those old-timers from the Lionheart Club are still writing their tactics manuals on parchment!"

The medical team pushed a stretcher through them, the heavy smell of disinfectant washing away the unfinished conversation. Leno had already carried his two unconscious companions on his back and ran backward into the maple grove, his last words, "It's an honor to meet you," blown to pieces by the night wind.

Professor Manstein's bald head shone azure in the bright flashlight. Like a night owl smelling something strange, he slowly turned his head. "Guderian, are these the two freshmen?" The flashlight beam swept across Gu Yi. "Two B-rank hybrids were taken down on the first day of school?"

"Ahahaha!" Professor Guderian laughed dryly, hugging the brown paper bag to his chest. "This was a surprise. I make mistakes too..."

"Take your accident to the principal's office and explain it!" the discipline committee member roared.

"As for you—" He glared at the two freshmen, but suddenly lost his temper under Chu Zihang's indifferent gaze. "Forget it, go and complete the admission procedures."

The medical team leader put away the last empty syringe and said, "Looks like this year's accident report will have to be three pages longer."

-

Gu Yi stepped on the maple leaves and heard the crisp clink of glasses in the distance. Through the arch at the end of the boulevard, he could see the lights of the Student Union celebration party flowing like broken gold between the Gothic window frames. Waiters in silver suits walked around with bottles of champagne.

Chu Zihang stopped. His shadow was stretched out by the moonlight.

"They're using liquid nitrogen to freeze the champagne tower," Chu Zihang said suddenly. The night breeze carried a subtle crackling sound, like ice crystals growing on the sides of the glass.

Only then did Gu Yi notice that on the open-air terrace outside the banquet hall, student union members were using blowtorches to melt ice sculptures of frozen wine bottles. Girls wearing Venetian masks were playfully scattering rose petals into the chilly champagne pool, while a drunken boy was shaving a cigar with a saber.

Chu Zihang's eyelashes cast fine shadows under his eyes: "The way to celebrate victory should be more..." He chose his words carefully.

"More solemn?" Gu Yi continued, "It seems that Senior Brother doesn't like the Student Union."

Chu Zihang didn't say anything, and the two of them pushed the suitcases and disappeared into the night.

(End of this chapter)